The Crying Game / TRANSGENDER DISCUSSION

[HairOfTheDog]

Chelsea Manning, formerly Bradley Manning, has filed suit against Chuck Hagel and the US Department of Defense. Manning is serving a 35-year sentence for espionage at Fort Leavenworth, an Army prison in eastern Kansas, for leaking 750,000 pages of classified docs to Wikileaks.

Manning was diagnosed in 2010 with gender dysphoria. The day after his sentencing, Bradley Manning announced that he had been planning to live as a woman and wanted to move forward with that plan. A judge later granted the change of name from Bradley Edward to Chelsea Elizabeth.

"She brings this action to compel defendants [Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the federal government] to treat her serious medical needs consistent with their obligation under the Constitution," said the suit.

"I requested that the military provide me with a treatment plan consistent with the recognized professional standards of care for trans [gender] health. They quickly evaluated me and informed me that they came up with a proposed treatment plan. However, I have not yet seen their treatment plan, and in over eight months, I have not received any response as to whether the plan will be approved or disapproved, or whether it follows the guidelines of qualified health professionals," Manning said. She said that lack of treatment continues to this day.

If the requests are denied, said Manning's lawyers, she "will suffer continued pain, depression and anxiety and is at an extremely high risk of self-castration and suicidality."

The Obama administration is expected to give a written response to the lawsuit in coming weeks.

Do you think that the government should grant her request to wear make-up, grow her hair, dress female? Are they obligated to provide her hormone treatment since she has a medical diagnosis, same as they'd be obligated to provide a diabetic with insulin?